Cabinet for Ferdinand II of Tyrol, c. 1582

This cabinet was a gift for Archduke Ferdinand II (of Tyrol) on the occasion of his marriage with Anna Katharina Gonzaga in 1582. When opened, a variety of compartments and drawers are accessible. In the tower, for instance, is a small drawer with writing utensils; below it, a lockable drawer can be pulled out to create a writing surface. The double doors below open to reveal further compartments containing a Kunst- und Wunderkammer in miniature.

The decorative programme is likewise encyclopaedic, including the seven liberal arts, the seven planetary gods, the five senses, the four elements, the four seasons, the four continents, and the twelve labours of Hercules -- the ancient hero with whom Ferdinand II most identified as ruler. 

Commentary derived from Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna; and Konrad Schlegel in Sabine Haag and Franz Kirchweger, eds., Treasures of the Habsburgs(London, 2013), pp. 172-3.